News NMFC & Tassie (the mass debate re our future there, the academy, attending advice)

[Snake_Baker]

The Tasmanian push is really about Politicians trying to be popular and getting their photo in the local paper and on tv, usually doing a handball sometimes (like the now Premier) doing a drop punt.

Ironically, politicians milking the North-South divide has been the thing that held them back all these years.

 

[big_e]

On the assumption that we are leaving Tasmania sooner rather than later, I would love to see a study on the viability of NMFC playing 2 or 3 low drawing games at Ballarat now that substantial work has been done on the facility. It serves the interests of the state government to play more games in a stadium that they have funded, and it helps to justify further investment. It is not an asset of the Western Bulldogs so the terms for using the stadium would have to apply to any club that wants to use it. That's to say, a clean stadium with fence signage, corporate suites, and food and beverage revenue available. Obviously, no local tourism authority or shipping line will pay a premium as happens in the case of other games sold interstate, but the Ballarat opportunity was never about instant gratification or paying down the debt. Has the horse bolted? I suggest the Bulldogs don't own the region from a support point of view. I suppose you could say the AFL buying out Docklands means there are no longer any loss-making games at the venue and the attraction of the original Ballarat proposal is diminished. But my point is this - can we make more money by playing GC, GWS, Port Adelaide and Freo in Ballarat than we do at Docklands?

Sydney, Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart, Ballarat....

There's a narrative there that is ultimately counter-productive, imo. It's served a purpose to clear debt, but now that's done, is an extra few hundred grand a year from Ballarat really worth the perpetuation of the "Broke North" myth?

 

[Tas]

On the assumption that we are leaving Tasmania sooner rather than later, I would love to see a study on the viability of NMFC playing 2 or 3 low drawing games at Ballarat now that substantial work has been done on the facility.

It serves the interests of the state government to play more games in a stadium that they have funded, and it helps to justify further investment.

It is not an asset of the Western Bulldogs so the terms for using the stadium would have to apply to any club that wants to use it. That's to say, a clean stadium with fence signage, corporate suites, and food and beverage revenue available. Obviously, no local tourism authority or shipping line will pay a premium as happens in the case of other games sold interstate, but the Ballarat opportunity was never about instant gratification or paying down the debt. Has the horse bolted? I suggest the Bulldogs don't own the region from a support point of view. I suppose you could say the AFL buying out Docklands means there are no longer any loss-making games at the venue and the attraction of the original Ballarat proposal is diminished. But my point is this - can we make more money by playing GC, GWS, Port Adelaide and Freo in Ballarat than we do at Docklands?

I do not think it is in our interests any longer.

Once our agreement ends with Tasmania we go back to all games at Docklands. We broke even last year despite no crowds for most of the season and nothing from the Tasmania deal. While it played an essential part whilst we navigated the poor stadium deal at Docklands, the AFL bought out the stadium and we have a far more lucrative stadium deal now.

In 2016 we averaged 33,197 for our home games at Docklands and we didn't play Collingwood, Essendon or Richmond at home at Docklands. Our low-end games were 25,485 vs Crows, 23,393 vs Fremantle, 27,000 vs Port and 22,295 vs GWS. We also played Melbourne, Swans and Richmond in Tasmania, all probably would have drawn more than those 3.

I think we need to really push growth of the local market, we are already doing a great job in Wyndham but Melton, Hume and Whittlesea are also within our North to North/West corridor where a lot of the growth in the future for Melbourne will accumulate.

I want to see us working towards that long-term destination rather than fiddle with things that set us back, especially if we are not financially in a bad position. Our major competitive disadvantage is we have a much smaller supporter base, other than on-field success, it should be a major objective to expand it as much as humanly possible.

In 2019 we spent 3 months between May and early August, we had 3 home games in Melbourne in 3 months in the middle of the AFL season, this is a disaster for the club. We need to re-establish the culture of going to every home game and build on it to attend away games as well. We are not going to get that playing games in half-filled regional stadiums in the middle of nowhere away from the majority of our supporters.

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

I do not think it is in our interests any longer.

Once our agreement ends with Tasmania we go back to all games at Docklands. We broke even last year despite no crowds for most of the season and nothing from the Tasmania deal. While it played an essential part whilst we navigated the poor stadium deal at Docklands, the AFL bought out the stadium and we have a far more lucrative stadium deal now.

In 2016 we averaged 33,197 for our home games at Docklands and we didn't play Collingwood, Essendon or Richmond at home at Docklands. Our low-end games were 25,485 vs Crows, 23,393 vs Fremantle, 27,000 vs Port and 22,295 vs GWS. We also played Melbourne, Swans and Richmond in Tasmania, all probably would have drawn more than those 3.

I think we need to really push growth of the local market, we are already doing a great job in Wyndham but Melton, Hume and Whittlesea are also within our North to North/West corridor where a lot of the growth in the future for Melbourne will accumulate.

I want to see us working towards that long-term destination rather than fiddle with things that set us back, especially if we are not financially in a bad position. Our major competitive disadvantage is we have a much smaller supporter base, other than on-field success, it should be a major objective to expand it as much as humanly possible.

In 2019 we spent 3 months between May and early August, we had 3 home games in Melbourne in 3 months in the middle of the AFL season, this is a disaster for the club. We need to re-establish the culture of going to every home game and build on it to attend away games as well. We are not going to get that playing games in half-filled regional stadiums in the middle of nowhere away from the majority of our supporters.

Re your last paragraph we have 4 home games for the last 4 months of the upcoming 2021 season.

It's difficult to imagine a club that was serious about developing the local supporter base and being a 'truly Melbourne club' could allow this to happen.

 

[ChoppyGun]

There won't be a team based on the map in a million years. Nor will there be an NRL team

NBL & ALeague...LOL...

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

What's funny?

 

[Colbys Boots]

Sydney, Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart, Ballarat....

There's a narrative there that is ultimately counter-productive, imo. It's served a purpose to clear debt, but now that's done, is an extra few hundred grand a year from Ballarat really worth the perpetuation of the "Broke North" myth?

Yes that's a fair point and certainly my preference would be 11 home games in Melbourne.

 

[Dan]

More investigating as to whether Punt Rd is a viable option moving forward.

Can easily be done against teams like Freo, GC, GWS.

#11homegamesinmelbourne

 

[Tas]

Re your last paragraph we have 4 home games for the last 4 months of the upcoming 2021 season.

It's difficult to imagine a club that was serious about developing the local supporter base and being a 'truly Melbourne club' could allow this to happen.

There are always going to be winners and losers when it comes to the schedule, when you are almost the wooden spoon team you can't really be demanding for more prime time access and when you sell games to other states they have to fit it in where it is convenient for them.

The problem is when we were doing okay on-field, we also got screwed. We need our independence from the AFL so we can fight harder for a fair slice of the pie, we will survive with the status quo, but there are a lot of artificial barriers that will prevent us from thriving. Receiving favours gives us a weaker hand when it comes to demanding a better outcome and having to fight them for it will mean they are likely to make things worse for us rather than better.

it suits the AFL's agenda to keep us where we are, we aren't a huge economic drain and they can shaft us with fair access because we are receiving handouts/favours. We need to get off the AFL teat for us to be able to demand a fair share.

My gut feel is the clubs feels the opportunity to do that is with on-field success and with a decent period of on-field optimism which always generates an artificial boost in support no matter how small or large you are. I think it is why it has been where the significant chunk of our resources have gone. We have just been spectacularly ineffective when it comes to building a good consistent side.

 

[Colbys Boots]

More investigating as to whether Punt Rd is a viable option moving forward.

Can easily be done against teams like Freo, GC, GWS.

#11homegamesinmelbourne

We'll get a better look on Friday night but from a distance, Punt Rd appears to be a long way off from being a viable option.

 

[tales129]

Anyone got an idea on what the figure of job keeper was paid by the club?

mentioned in hutchy and purples podcast that Richmond paid 11mil in jobkeeper across the year

if we were to play 11 games in melbourne we’d obviously have to profit that volume of $$ to break even again (at its most basic financial level)

 

[big_e]

Anyone got an idea on what the figure of job keeper was paid by the club?

mentioned in hutchy and purples podcast that Richmond paid 11mil in jobkeeper across the year

if we were to play 11 games in melbourne we’d obviously have to profit that volume of $$ to break even again (at its most basic financial level)

$2.8 million.

 

[ChoppyGun]

I'm still convinced goneski.

Gutwein has pulled the pin unless hear more from the AFL (very unlikely)

I don't know the top decision makers in Politics, but being State Gov't news filters down in certain areas.

BoomerRoo you still think otherwise?

 

[BoomerRoo]

I'm still convinced goneski.

Gutwein has pulled the pin unless hear more from the AFL (very unlikely)

I don't know the top decision makers in Politics, but being State Gov't news filters down in certain areas.

BoomerRoo you still think otherwise?

Yes ChoppyGun I do think otherwise

 

[ChoppyGun]

Yes ChoppyGun I do think otherwise

OK mate.

Saints a new player? (I haven't heard that at all outside media)

As North and Hawks no chance to get same deals unless accept far lower terms. That is fact.

 

[Jazny]

I doubt we'll see this clown again.

View attachment 1066685

Imagine taking a bay 13 post seriously

 

[Snake_Baker]

Imagine taking a bay 13 post seriously

Imagine taking Gutwein seriously?

 

[ChoppyGun]

Imagine taking Gutwein seriously?

Best Premier Tas have had in decades.

Laugh all you want but he'd tear you apart.

(in your extra size recliner you said had to watch games)

 

[King Corey]

Brisbane -> rebranded as "the team for Queensland"
Gold Coast -> deregistered
Tasmania -> get Gold Coast license
Melbourne FC - GAGF (just threw that one in)
GWS -> given 5 years to generate their own livelihood or GAGF

Simples.

 

[darko]

There won't be a team based on the map in a million years. Nor will there be an NRL team

NBL & ALeague...LOL...

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

I don't get what's funny about NBL and A League.

 

[King Corey]

I doubt we'll see this clown again.

View attachment 1066685

Interesting.

 

[ChoppyGun]

Hi all.
I wrote to the Tas Premier directly a couple of weeks ago concerning AFL and Tasmania's future (and our deal of course)

Just received a detailed response today from his Office under his signature.

Very much appreciated it as it addressed my concerns directly, so not just a cursory "copy and paste" reply.

Was an interesting read and it seems discussions are most certainly continuing but on a very different basis.

So it's not "the end" but the AFL need to step up big time.

Any questions let me know.

 

[the big lebowski]

Hi all.
I wrote to the Tas Premier directly a couple of weeks ago concerning AFL and Tasmania's future (and our deal of course)

Just received a detailed response today from his Office under his signature.

Very much appreciated it as it addressed my concerns directly, so not just a cursory "copy and paste" reply.

Was an interesting read and it seems discussions are most certainly continuing but on a very different basis.

So it's not "the end" but the AFL need to step up big time.

Any questions let me know.

Thanks for the update Choppy.

From the response what % chance do you think there is of North playing home games in tassie next year.

And if there is a chance, how many games do you think it will be.

 

[ChoppyGun]

Thanks for the update Choppy.

From the response what % chance do you think there is of North playing home games in tassie next year.

And if there is a chance, how many games do you think it will be.

No probs mate.

To be honest much more likely than I thought. I thought done but BoomerRoo I think closer.

The reply was consistent that this is no bluff. We (Tas) are out if AFL don't deliver.

Games weren't mentioned actually so I don't know on that TBL.

Certainly no suggestion of more.

 

[ChoppyGun]

As for % I'd say 80 but on a lower deal.

Less games and money

 

[Snake_Baker]

Excellent.